Scenes From Toy Fair

Ubooly has expanded its line to include a larger version for 7-inch Apple or Android tablets. The plush toy features voice recognition, and more than 1,000 content phrases. A seperate accessory is currently being developed to enable the Ubooly to read books, a spokesman told TWICE. It comes in three colors for $60.

Tiggly has expanded its line of interactive tablet toys to include models that teach counting and math skills. Each set retails for a suggested $30 and can interact with several different apps for games and story-telling. They can be used with Apple or Android tablets.

Lexibook has expanded its line of Android kid tablets to include the XL 10-inch and Ultra 2 7-inch models. The former will retail for a suggested $199 while the latter will be $149 when they both ship in September. The tablets have 1.2GHz processors, 8GB of storage (expandable up to 32GB), built-in Wi-Fi, HDMI ports and 500 mAh batteries.

Tattoos Alive, a Glimmer Body Art brand, was demonstrating its interactive temporary tattoos at Toy Fair. The tattoos, which come in six characters, can interact with a free tablet or smartphone app. Pricing starts at $1.99 for six copies of one character.

Wowee’s Smartsee is geared toward toddlers. It can recognize flash cards and interact with an iPad using the 3.5mm port. It will be available later this year for $49.99.

The SparkUp allows parents to record their voices while reading books, and the device can recognize a pre-recorded book when it’s attached. Up to 50 books can be stored on the SparkUp, and files (which carry a proprietary file extension known as SPK) can be transferred to computers via its MicroUSB port. Battery life is 30 hours; it runs on three AAA batteries. The SparkUp currently available for a $49.99 suggested retail. A version adding a 3.5mm port will be available in six months, a spokesman s

School Zone Publishing, a maker of educational software for 35 years, had its first tablet on display during the show. The Android 4.2.2 device, geared toward ages 3 to 7, features 8GB of memory (expandable to 64GB), 1GB RAM, built-in Wi-Fi, 1.2GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor, 1024 by 768 screen resolution, 2-megapixel back camera and 0.3-megapixel front cameras. The tablet, which officially launched in December, comes preloaded with more than 150 apps, songs, e-books and videos, and a company spok

TheO Smartball, designed for Apple or Android smartphones and featuring Bluetooth, is meant to encourage activity by responding to movement. It will be available in May for a $34.99 suggested retail. A tablet version, known as TheO SmartDisc, will be $49.99.

Modular Robotics, makers of the Cubelets, had its Moss connectable robotic modules on display. The Moss cubes, which feature built-in magnets that attach to steel balls, can be connected to a Bluetooth module (known as a “Double Brain”) that will interact with a variety of iOS apps. The kits are designed to make robotics more accessible to children ages 8 and older, a spokesman told TWICE. The kits will be available in April through toy and CE channels; pricing will begin at $149 for a starte

Earlier this month, Crayola announced its My Virtual Fashion Show, a fashion portfolio that interacts with a smartphone or tablet app (see Feb. 17 issue of TWICE). The company expanded to this line at Toy Fair with the addition of the Virtual Design Pro Car Edition, set to be available in September for $39.99.

Awesimals smartphone cases are iPhone or iPod Touch cases geared toward children, and a free voice-repeating app allows the “face” to be customized. They are priced at $14.99. Eight colors are offered.

Ashtel Studios was at Toy Fair to show off its Sleepin’ Buddies USB-connected bear, designed to help children fall asleep. The plush bear, which will be available in the fourth quarter for $39.95, can record up to 10 minutes of sound. The company also told TWICE it is readying a line of Bluetooth-connected toothbrushes ($199) that will upload brushing data to a smartphone app, as well as shoes that will sync data to a website so children can receive rewards based on how many steps they took ($79).